Posted on 9/30/125 by Bob Magee
Show Recap —
The Usos, Judgment Day, Los Americanos (all three of them),
and Rusev arrived at the arena in Raleigh.
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are tonight’s announcers.
Tessitore welcomed us to Raleigh, NC, and said the city was
“That unique mix of cutting-edge business savvy and rah-rah
spirit that mirrors modern-day WWE.”
There was a recap of Asuka and Kairi Sane attacking Iyo Sky
and Rhea Ripley.
Rhea Ripley kicks off Raw
A pissed off Rhea Ripley entered to a big reaction. She said
Asuka and Kairi Sane crossed the line with what they did to
Iyo Sky, whom they claimed was family. Ripley wanted to
settle things in the ring and called them out, but Sky
entered instead.
Sky admitted Ripley was right about Asuka and Sane, and it
broke her heart to say that. But they were her family, and
she still loved them.
Asuka and Sane appeared on the screen. Asuka addressed
Ripley and Sky. (It was a pre-taped promo, so there were
subtitles.) Asuka said she taught Sky everything she knew
and paved the way for her, but now Sky acted as if none of
that mattered. Sky became champion because of her, but now
Sky calls Ripley family and tries to forget about her
(Asuka).
Asuka was willing to forgive Sky, but wanted an apology. “Be
like Kairi. You can both be my students.” Sane (still a
hesitant participant in this) told Sky they can still be a
family. Asuka said it was too late for Ripley.
Ripley tried talking sense into Sky. Ripley said she knew
what it was like for family to turn on you (Judgment Day),
and there was no way Sky could go back to Asuka and Sane.
Sky was upset. She needed time. She apologized to Ripley and
left.
Asuka and Sane attacked Ripley from behind. Sky wasn’t sure
what to do, but she ran into the ring and pulled Asuka away
from Ripley. Sane pleaded with Sky until Asuka spat mist in
Sky’s face.
Ripley attacked, but Asuka and Sane fought her off. Asuka
held Ripley down in the Asuka Lock while Sane hit an Insane
elbow. Officials entered to check on the babyfaces as the
segment ended.
********
Dom entered with his Intercontinental and AAA Mega
Championship belts. Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh initially
entered with Dom, but they returned to the back for the
match.
Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs.
Rusev
Rusev was all over Dom early on, sending him over the
announce table with a fallaway slam, which sent us to break
less than two minutes into the match. Not much happened
until Dom made his comeback following a break, leading to a
springboard senton for just a one count. Dom went for a 619,
but Rusev clotheslined him.
Rusev set up for the Machka Kick, but Dom spilled out of the
ring. Dom shoved Rusev into the steel steps and hit a 619 to
the gut back in the ring. Dom hit a normal 619 and went for
a frog splash, but Rusev moved and hit a Machka Kick for a
nearfall.
Rusev applied the Accolade, but Dom quickly wriggled out of
it and escaped the ring. Dom grabbed his two belts and
started to leave, but Rusev pulled him back in the ring.
Dom tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero trick by feigning that
Rusev hit him with a belt, but the referee caught him. As
the ref put the belt away, Dom low-blowed Rusev and applied
a schoolboy for the pinfall win.
Match result: Dominik Mysterio defeated Rusev to retain the
Intercontinental Championship (8:56)
This was ok. It followed the same pattern as most WWE TV
matches, so the crowd only got into it toward the end with
Dom’s antics, and they popped big for his win.
********
Earlier today, LA Knight told Adam Pearce he wanted a world
title shot because he was the last person to beat Seth
Rollins.
New Day interrupted them because they wanted a tag title
shot. Pearce told them to earn it. Knight tried to dismiss
them, so Kofi Kingston told him that only one of them had
actually been a world champion. Knight said he would be
world champ very soon, and told Pearce to make a match
between him and Kingston. Pearce agreed.
********
There was a shot of Cody Rhodes’ tour bus, followed by part
one of a video package exploring the history of Rhodes and
Seth Rollins since Rhodes’ return.
Happy Bayley approached Lyra Valkyria, who wasn’t buying
what Bayley was saying. Bayley wanted Valkyria’s help
tonight (in her match with Raquel Rodriguez). Valkyria
didn’t want to give her any more chances and told her she
was on her own.
********
They announced the launch of Zuffa Boxing with a picture of
Turki Al-Sheikh and Dana White.
Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez (w/Roxanne Perez)
Bayley went for a hurricanrana off the apron (like Kelani
Jordan tried in her recent TNA match with Lei Ying Lee), but
Rodriguez successfully caught her and drove her into the
barricade.
Bayley fought back after a break and hit a senton bomb for
two. They were in North Carolina, so Bayley did the Hardy
Boyz pose before the spot. Rodriguez and Bayley messed up a
spot, so they moved on, and Rodriguez clotheslined her.
Bayley responded with a figure four (to pay tribute to Ric
Flair in NC), but Rodriguez called the ref for help to
distract her. This allowed Perez to rake Bayley’s eyes and
break up the hold, and the ref didn’t see it because she has
no peripheral vision. Rodriguez followed with a big boot and
Tejana Bomb for the pinfall win.
— The heels attacked Bayley after the match, so Valkyria ran
out to make the save. The heels got the better of her, but
Bayley suddenly snapped. She popped out of the corner and
cleared the ring by herself. Bayley cackled like heel Bayley
and helped Valkyria to her feet.
Match result: Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bayley (10:24)
********
The Usos met backstage. Jimmy wanted to know why Jey walked
away from him and LA Knight last week. Jey said helping
Knight got them nowhere, and he was the reason they lost at
Wrestlepalooza. Jey wanted to know why Jimmy helped Knight.
Jey basically reiterated what Roman Reigns told him (without
mentioning him), that they shouldn’t be helping anyone.
Jey did what he had to do. He beat Knight. Mission
accomplished. If he did more of that, maybe he’d be world
champion. That was something Jimmy didn’t understand. Jey
told him to forget about Knight so they could take care of
the Brons. They shook hands.
*******
The useless medical staff was still tending to Sky, who was
still covered in blue mist and having trouble seeing almost
an hour after the opening segment. Sane approached Sky and
tried reasoning with her.
Sane wanted Sky to apologize to Asuka so they could be a
family again. Sky told Sane to leave her alone. A very sad
Kairi left, but not before leaving a photo of the three of
them together. (The camera zoomed in on the picture in case
you were having trouble understanding.)
********
LA Knight vs. Kofi Kingston (w/Xavier Woods)
Knight had control until a Woods distraction allowed
Kingston to take over ahead of a break. Woods also took a
cheap shot during a break. Knight made his post-commercial
break comeback, hitting a slingshot shoulder tackle and
neckbreaker.
Woods distracted Knight again, this time by jumping on the
apron in front of the referee. Knight knocked him off, but
Kingston applied a rollup with his feet on the ropes for
two. Knight ducked a Trouble in Paradise and hit a BFT for
the pinfall win.
Match result: LA Knight defeated Kofi Kingston (10:22)
Another ordinary, patterned match.
********
Becky Lynch approached Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa. She
mocked Dupri for being a loser. Lynch called herself the
greatest of all time and reminded us that everyone was
saying it. Durpi said not everyone, certainly not AJ Lee.
Tozawa, playing a total caricature, giggled at the comment.
Lynch punched Tozawa, and he dropped to the floor. Dupri
stood up for Tozawa, so Lynch backed off. Durpi checked on
Tozawa, but Lynch attacked her from behind and hammered away
until officials broke it up. Lynch found Rollins nearby.
Rollins left to head to the ring.
********
Byron Saxton interviewed Dom during a break. Dom bragged
about his win before being confronted by Penta. Saxton asked
Dom for comment, but Dom dismissed Penta as a challenger
because he’s already beaten him so many times.
Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes segment
(Long story short, Rhodes isn’t buying that their Crown
Jewel match will determine the future. Rollins wanted to
make it clear that any perceived allegiance between them in
the past meant nothing. The match was meaningful because
Rollins would win and write a new story.)
Rollins entered. The crowd sang his song, chanted for CM
Punk and “OTC.” The fans remembered he isn’t currently
feuding with those guys, so they eventually started singing
for Cody Rhodes.
Rollins finally spoke when they did. Rollins acknowledged
that he had lost all three matches against Rhodes. It didn’t
bother Rollins because it didn’t matter. Those were in the
past. Those versions of Rhodes and Rollins were in the past.
They were both men trying to reach the top, but now, headed
into Crown Jewel, they were on top.
The winner of the match wouldn’t just be the Crown Jewel
champion—the winner may just decide the next 10-20 years of
the entire industry. Rollins didn’t understand why anyone
would want Rhodes to win that match and lead this company
into the future.
Rollins said he has done everything right. He stayed with
this company when times were tough, brought the company into
its golden age, and took two young men—Bron Breakker and
Bronson Reed—and took them under his wing so they could
reach the top. Rollins has tried to rid this place of
cancers like Reigns and Punk, yet people still chanted for
Rhodes (instead of him).
Rhodes entered to a big reception. Rhodes wanted to know
what Rollins was even talking about, as if either of them
had any control over the future of the industry. Rhodes
looked at the fans and said they were the ones who
controlled the future.
Rhodes mentioned that Breakker and Reed appeared on
SmackDown, but it wasn’t Rollins who sent them, it was Paul
Heyman. Rhodes wondered who was really in charge. Rollins
claimed it was him who sent them because every decision ran
through him.
Rhodes wondered if it was also Rollins’ idea for Heyman to
introduce Brock Lesnar. Rollins reiterated that every
decision ran through him.
Rhodes said Crown Jewel should be about best versus best.
Rhodes wondered where they would be in twenty years. Would
they be sitting in the back, reminiscing about the past?
Rhodes recalled Rollins being his shield at WrestleMania 40.
He thought Rollins was his friend.
Rollins told him to shut up. Rollins said he was never
Rhodes’ friend. That act at WrestleMania was a means to an
end. Rhodes was the lesser of two evils. They would never be
friends reminiscing about the past. They would never shake
hands. That would never happen.
Rollins planned on cleansing the timeline at Crown Jewel.
Everything that happened between them before was dead.
Rollins would write a new future at Crown Jewel.
********
Ripley approached Sky, still covered in blue mist. Sky told
Ripley she was right about Asuka. She spoke to Pearce and
got them a tag match against Asuka and Sane at Crown Jewel.
Ripley earnestly asked Sky if she could trust her. Sky said
she could. Sane was lost, and she could not go back to them.
********
Dragon Lee cut a pre-match promo. The crowd was quiet for
it. He was honoured to team with Styles and said he was
coming for Dom’s Mega Championship.
Styles spoke about his upcoming match against John Cena.
Styles said it was thanks to the fans that this match was
happening, and now he got to do something that he loved: “I
get to beat up John Cena.”
AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Los Americanos
The two Americanos who aren’t Ludwig Kaiser have new fake
names, Rio and Bravo.
They went to break 40 seconds into the match, and the
Americanos had the heat on Dragon Lee as the fans watched
quietly. The crowd woke up when Styles made the hot tag. He
ran wild and wiped out Kaiser with a springboard forearm to
the outside.
Lee hoisted an Americano into the air and into the arms of
Styles. Lee wiped out the other Americano with a dive while
AJ hit a Styles Clash for the pinfall win.
Match result: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee defeated Los Americanos
(7:02)
Another match where you only need to see the last minute or
so.
********
Next week on Raw in Dallas, TX (start time 8 pm ET/5 pm PT):
CM Punk appears
Becky Lynch vs. Maxxine Dupri (non-title)
Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez
********
Jackie Redmond interviewed Stephanie Vaquer about her
upcoming match against Tiffany Stratton. Vaquer respected
Stratton, but Stratton would learn why nobody could stop
her.
Stratton suddenly showed up. Stratton said she’s proven
herself as champion against some of the best over the past
268 days. Vaquer has only been on top for a few weeks, and
she would learn that it was still Tiffy Time. Vaquer said
Tiffany’s time was over.
********
In the back, a very serious Rollins told Heyman that he
needs to beat Rhodes. Heyman was upbeat and confident that
he would, but Rollins cut him off and said, “I have to beat
him. I have to.”
Tornado Tag Team Match: Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso vs. Bron
Breakker & Bronson Reed (w/Paul Heyman)
The Usos attacked the Brons with dives during their
entrance, so the referee chose that moment to start the
match, which hardly seems fair. The Brons fought them off
and eventually took control anyway. The highlight was
Breakker putting Jimmy through the announce table with a
leaping clothesline off the barricade.
This left Jey on his own for a while. Jey tried fighting
back, but Reed cut him off with a world’s strongest slam.
The Brons followed with a Steinerizer.
Reed went up for a Tsunami, but Jimmy woke up and shoved him
off the top. Jimmy hit Breakker with a superkick and a pop-
up Samoan drop. However, Reed gave Jimmy a Jagged Edge
(DVD), and Breakker speared Jey.
Breakker stacked up the Usos, who were getting decimated in
a fair fight, and Reed set up for a Tsunami, but Roman
Reigns’ music hit.
Reigns entered with a chair in hand to a gigantic pop.
Reigns dumped Breakker from the ring and hit Reed repeatedly
with a chair, eventually sending him over the barricade.
Breakker tried to attack from behind, but Reigns hit him
with the chair and sent him into the ring.
Jimmy superkicked Breakker, and Jey followed with a spear.
Jimmy and Jey hit Breakker with simultaneous Uso splashes
for the pinfall win.
— Reigns attacked Breakker again with a chair after the
match.
Reigns shook hands with Jey. They stood face-to-face as
Reigns gave Jey words of encouragement (telling Jey that
this was his show and to take everything). Jimmy had a
skeptical look on his face and didn’t like what he was
seeing.
Match result: The Usos defeated Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
in a tornado tag team match (12:38)